STAMFORD, CONN. (Wednesday, April 18, 2001) - The XFL today named Los Angeles Xtreme quarterback Tommy Maddox its 2001 Player of the Year, as selected by a panel of XFL team executives, media and broadcasters.
Maddox led the XFL in passing yards (2186) and touchdown passes (18), en route to guiding the Xtreme to a regular-season Western Division championship, as well as a berth in Saturday's "Million Dollar Game" against the San Francisco Demons (8:00 p.m. Eastern/5:00 p.m. Pacific on NBC).
An original territorial pick of the Xtreme, the UCLA product was the only XFL QB to start all 10 regular-season games. Maddox threw at least one TD pass in eight of ten games, and at least two TD passes in six regular-season outings.
Season highlights included throwing for two scores and running for another as the Xtreme blew out the previously-unbeaten Orlando Rage, 31-6, in week seven. He earned XFL Player of the Week honors for the performance.
Maddox twice threw for an XFL-record four scores in one game, the first time in a week two win over the Chicago Enforcers, and then again in week eight in a win over the Las Vegas Outlaws.
Chicago Enforcers running back John Avery was the runner-up for the award. Avery led the XFL in rushing with 800 yards (a league-leading 88.9 per game), as well as in yards-per-carry (5.3) as the Enforcers shook off an 0-4 start to earn a playoff spot.